Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

ABSTRACT

A device that is in a state of preparing for connection with a network is searched for (first search), and a device that is already connected to the network is searched for (second search). A display unit is caused to display information regarding a device found in the first search and information regarding a device found in the second search, such that a distinction is made.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/151,517, filed May 11, 2016, which claims priority to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2015-110809, filed May 29, 2015, the entire disclosuresof which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to techniques for connecting a device to anetwork.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, when connecting a network communication device and aterminal device to each other, connection is established via aconnection device called a wireless LAN router, which is also called anaccess point. Here, the network communication device refers to a printeror the like that can be used in a network, and a terminal device willhereinafter mean a personal computer, a smartphone, or the like. For theconnection, a procedure in which, initially, the network communicationdevice and the wireless LAN router are connected to each other, andthereafter the network communication device is searched for from theterminal device is necessary.

Techniques for connecting the network communication device and thewireless LAN router to each other include push-button methods thatconform to standards of wireless LAN router manufacturers or the Wi-FiAlliance. In Japan, AOSS is one of the push-button methods. AOSS is anabbreviation of AirStation One-Touch Secure System, which is a wirelessLAN setting system that is introduced in a wireless LAN device“AirStation” that is sold by Buffalo. In Japan, the push-button methodsalso include Raku-raku Wireless Start, which is an automatic wirelessLAN setting developed by NEC Access Technica. Worldwide, WPS (Wi-FiProtected Setup: the standards of the Wi-Fi Alliance) is available as apush-button method. In the case where a network communication device hasa wireless LAN router search function and a network communication devicelisting function, the following method is also available. That is tosay, a wireless LAN router is searched for from each networkcommunication device, and the connection is established by designatingan SSID (an identifier of the wireless LAN router: Service SetIdentifier) and a password of the wireless LAN router to be used. Inaddition, there is also a method for connecting a wireless LAN routerand a network communication device to each other using a connection toolprovided in the terminal device. There is also a technique with whichsoftware in a PC searches for printers and a printer list is displayed(Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-186725).

Although wireless LAN routers have been widely used in recent years,many technical terms are used in the settings thereof and the connectionbetween the wireless LAN routers and other devices, and there are caseswhere users are not aware of even the existence of the wireless LANrouters in the case where providers install them. In the push-buttonmethods (AOSS, Raku-raku Wireless Start, WPS etc.) for the wireless LANrouters of various manufacturers, the setting method and the position ofthe push button differ, and moreover, in recent years, wireless LANrouters have increased in variety, which has made it difficult for usersto perform the setting thereof for connection.

In this regard, a method by which a tool for connecting to a wirelessLAN router is installed in a terminal device, and the wireless LANrouter and a network communication device are connected to each otherfrom the terminal device is known. However, in this case as well, thenetwork communication device needs to be in a connection preparationmode, and it is necessary to perform an operation using a panel andbuttons on the network communication device for connection, andestablish connection using a tool from the terminal device afterchanging the mode of the network communication device to the connectionpreparation mode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problem,and provides a technique for connecting a device to a network with asimple method.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an information processing apparatus comprising: a first searchunit configured to search for a device that is in a state of preparingfor connection with a network; a second search unit configured to searchfor a device that is already connected to the network; and a displaycontrol unit configured to cause a display unit to display informationregarding a device found by the first search unit and informationregarding a device found by the second search unit, such that adistinction is made.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an information processing method performed by an informationprocessing apparatus, comprising: searching for a device that is in astate of preparing for connection with a network; searching for a devicethat is already connected to the network; and causing a display unit todisplay information regarding the device that is in a state of preparingfor connection with the network, and information regarding the devicethat is already connected to the network, such that a distinction ismade.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing acomputer program for causing a computer to function as: a first searchunit configured to search for a device that is in a state of preparingfor connection with a network; a second search unit configured to searchfor a device that is already connected to the network; and a displaycontrol unit configured to cause a display unit to display informationregarding a device found by the first search unit and informationregarding a device found by the second search unit, such that adistinction is made.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of exemplary embodiments with reference to theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a system.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing an exemplary hardware configurationof an information processing apparatus 201.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing an exemplary hardware configurationof a printing device 101.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of processing performed by the informationprocessing apparatus 201.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of processing performed by the informationprocessing apparatus 201.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the details of processing in step S409.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an exemplary display of a window.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an exemplary display of a window.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an exemplary display of a window.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an exemplary display of a user interface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

An exemplary information processing apparatus having the followingconfiguration will be described below. That is to say, a device that isin a state of preparing for connection with a network is searched for(first search), and a device that is already connected to this networkis searched for (second search). A display unit is caused to displayinformation regarding the device found in the first search andinformation regarding the device found in the second search such that adistinction is made (display control).

First, an exemplary configuration of a system that is applicable to thisembodiment is shown in FIG. 1. Both a desktop computer 102 a and alaptop computer 102 b are examples of the aforementioned informationprocessing apparatus that communicate data with a printing device 101via a wireless LAN router 103 and access the Internet 104. Note thatalthough only one printing device 101 is shown in FIG. 1, it is assumedthat a plurality of printing devices 101 that are already connected tothe wireless LAN router 103 or preparing for connection are included inthe system, as described later. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 ismerely an exemplary configuration of a system applicable to thisembodiment, and for example, any type and any number of computer devicesmay be applicable to the aforementioned information processingapparatuses. A communication partner of the aforementioned informationprocessing apparatuses is not limited to being a printing device, andmay be a scanner device or may be a multifunction peripheral, forexample.

Next, a description will be given, using block diagrams in FIGS. 2A and2B, of exemplary hardware configurations of the printing device 101 andan information processing apparatus 201 that is applicable to thedesktop computer 102 a and the laptop computer 102 b shown in FIG. 1.

First, an exemplary hardware configuration of the information processingapparatus 201 will be described using the block diagram in FIG. 2A. Themouse 210 and the keyboard 209 are exemplary user interfaces that areoperated by a user in order to perform various kinds of input to theinformation processing apparatus 201, and are both connected to an inputinterface 202.

A CPU 203 executes processing using a computer program and data that arestored in a ROM 204 or a RAM 205, thereby controlling overall operationsof the information processing apparatus 201 and executing or controllingeach process that will be described later as processing performed by theinformation processing apparatus 201. Setting data, a boot program, andthe like for the information processing apparatus 201 are stored in theROM 204.

A display unit 208 is constituted by a CRT, a liquid crystal screen, orthe like, and can display a result of the processing performed by theCPU 203 with images, characters, or the like. The display unit 208 isconnected to an output interface 207.

The RAM 205 has an area for storing a computer program and data that areloaded from an external storage device 206, and various kinds of datareceived from the outside via a network interface 211. Furthermore, theRAM 205 has a work area that is used when the CPU 203 executes variouskinds of processing. That is to say, the RAM 205 can provide variousareas as appropriate.

The external storage device 206 is a large-capacity information storagedevice, such as a hard disk drive device. The external storage device206 stores an OS (operating system), and a computer program and data forcausing the CPU 203 to execute each process that will be described lateras processing performed by the information processing apparatus 201.This computer program includes driver software for various networkdevices including the printing device 101, and installers for suchdevices. The computer program and data stored in the external storagedevice 206 are loaded into the RAM 205 as appropriate in accordance withthe control performed by the CPU 203, and are to be processed by the CPU203.

The network interface 211 is a communication interface for communicatingwith external devices including the printing device 101 in FIG. 2B.

Note that although the information processing apparatus 201 is connectedto the mouse 210, the keyboard 209, and the display unit 208 in thisembodiment, these members may be provided within the informationprocessing apparatus 201.

Next, an exemplary hardware configuration of the printing device(printer) 101 will be described using the block diagram in FIG. 2B. Theprint engine 256 prints images and characters on a recording medium,such as paper, based on print data that is supplied from the outside.

A network interface 252 is a communication interface for communicatingdata with external devices including the information processingapparatus 201 in FIG. 2A.

A ROM 254 stores setting data for the printing device 101, and acomputer program and data for causing a CPU 255 to execute or controleach process that will be described later as processing performed by theprinting device 101. The computer program and data stored in the ROM 254are loaded into the RAM 253 as appropriate in accordance with thecontrol performed by the CPU 255, and are to be processed by the CPU255.

The RAM 253 has an area for storing a computer program and data that areloaded from the ROM 254, and data that is received from the outside viathe network interface 252. Furthermore, the RAM 253 has a work area thatis used when the CPU 255 executes various kinds of processing. Thus, theRAM 253 can provide various areas as appropriate.

The CPU 255 controls overall operations of the printing device 101 andexecutes or controls each process that will be described later asprocessing performed by the printing device 101, by executing processingusing the computer program and data stored in the RAM 253.

Next, a description will be given, using a flowchart in FIG. 3, ofprocessing performed by the information processing apparatus 201 inorder to install driver software for the printing device 101 that isselected by a user in the information processing apparatus 201.

Upon the user operating the keyboard 209 or the mouse 210 to input aninstruction to start a setup program, the CPU 203 loads this setupprogram from the external storage device 206 into the RAM 205 andexecutes it. This setup program is for achieving functions such as asearch for the printing device 101 in the network, connection controlfor connecting the printing device 101 to the wireless LAN router 103,and installation of driver software for the printing device 101 in theinformation processing apparatus 201.

For installation of driver software, an application, or the like in theexternal storage device 206, a setup program for installing suchsoftware is included in a CD medium that is prepared together with theprinting device 101. A network connection program is provided as a partof the function of this setup program.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the networkconnection program, which is stored in the external storage device 206of the information processing apparatus 201. The procedure in FIG. 3 isachieved by the CPU 203 executing the network connection program loadedinto the RAM 205.

In step S301, the CPU 203 collects an SSID of the printing device 101 ina state of preparing for connection with the wireless LAN router 103(which has not yet established connection with the wireless LAN router103), via the network interface 211. This printing device 101 is aprinting device 101 that is not yet in a printable state, and is aprinting device 101 having an access point function. This printingdevice 101 is also a printing device 101 that can be recognized as anaccess point capable of being connected to the wireless LAN router 103from the information processing apparatus 201. In this embodiment, theSSID of the printing device 101 is configured to represent informationindicating the name of the printing device 101 and a serial number ofthe printing device 101. For example, the SSID of the printing device101 whose name is “ABC1000” and whose serial number is “12345” isconfigured as “ABC1000 12345”.

In step S301, the CPU 203 creates, based on the collected SSID, a listof the serial number and an MAC address of the printing device 101 thatcorrespond to this SSID. For example, assume that an SSID“ABC1000_12345” is collected in step S301. At this time, the CPU 203 canidentify the serial number of the printing device 101 corresponding tothis SSID as “12345”, and uniquely identify the printing device 101 fromthe name “ABC1000” and the serial number “12345” of the printing device101. If the printing device 101 can be uniquely identified,corresponding driver software can be uniquely identified, and thus, theMAC address of this printing device 101 is acquired from the uniquelyidentified driver software. Note that the MAC address may be acquiredfrom other files related to the printing device 101.

Thus, in step S301, the serial number and the MAC address of thecorresponding printing device 101 are acquired based on the collectedSSID. Note that the method for acquiring the serial number and the MACaddress of the corresponding printing device 101 based on the collectedSSID is not limited to the above method.

In step S302, the CPU 203 collects an SSID and an IP address of aprinting device 101 that is already connected to the wireless LAN router103 (i.e., that has established connection with the wireless LAN router103). This printing device 101 is a printing device 101 in a printablestate. In step S301, the CPU 203 collects the SSID and the IP address ofsuch a printing device 101 using a technique such as broadcasting.

In step S302, the CPU 203 creates, based on the collected SSID and IPaddress, a list of the serial number, the IP address, and the MACaddress of the printing device 101 corresponding to this SSID. Themethod for acquiring the serial number and the MAC address of thecorresponding printing device 101 based on the collected SSID is thesame as that in step S301.

In step S303, the CPU 203 displays a window, an example of which isshown in FIG. 6, on the display unit 208, thereby displaying the listcreated in step S301 and the list created in step S302 on the displayunit 208. A display region 604 is a region for displaying the lists ofthe serial number, the IP address, and the MAC address of each printingdevice 101 created in steps S301 and S302.

In the first row in the display region 604, a list created based on theSSID collected in step S301 is displayed. More specifically, a serialnumber “12345” and an MAC address “11.22.33.44.55.65” of the printingdevice 101 having this serial number are displayed. The printing device101 displayed in the first row is preparing for connection with thewireless LAN router 103 as mentioned above, and the IP address thereofhas not yet been determined. That is to say, since the IP address is notacquired, information “−” indicating it is displayed as the IP address.

In the second row in the display region 604, a list created based on theSSID and the IP address collected in step S302 are displayed. Morespecifically, the serial number “12346”, the collected IP address“192.168.1.3”, and the MAC address “11.22.33.44.55.66” of the printingdevice 101 having this serial number are displayed.

In the third row in the display region 604, a list created based on theSSID and the IP address collected in step S302 are displayed. Morespecifically, the serial number “12347”, the collected IP address“192.168.1.4”, and the MAC address “11.22.33.44.55.67” of the printingdevice 101 having this serial number are displayed.

Note that, although the list created in step S301 and the lists createdin step S302 are displayed in this order starting from the top in FIG.6, the order of display is not limited thereto. The information to bedisplayed is not limited to the above information.

As mentioned above, the IP address of the printing device in aconnection preparation state is not displayed, and the IP address of theconnected printing device is displayed. That is to say, deviceinformation is displayed so as to distinguish between the printingdevice in a connection preparation state and the connected printingdevice. The method for this display with distinction is not limitedthereto, and other methods may also be used. For example, aconfiguration may be employed in which a character string or an imageindicating a connection preparation state is displayed near the listcollected in step S301, and a character string or an image indicating aconnected state is displayed near the list collected in step S302. Thelist collected in step S301 and the list collected in step S302 may bedisplayed with different character colors, or may be displayed withdifferent fonts. That is to say, the list collected in step S301 and thelist collected in step S302 may be displayed in different display forms.

Check boxes 601 to 603 are arranged in the respective rows in thedisplay region 604, and the user designates (checks) a check box thatcorresponds to the printing device 101 that the user wants to connect tothe wireless LAN router 103 by operating the keyboard 209 or the mouse210. In the case of using the printing device 101 immediately after itis taken out from a package, only one printing device 101 can besearched for from the information processing apparatus 201 byautomatically setting the network connection preparation mode at thetime of initial start, and in this case, this printing device 101 may bein a checked state.

In step S304, after the user operates the keyboard 209 or the mouse 210to designate any of the check boxes, the CPU 203 accepts an operationinput for indicating the end of designation. In the case of FIG. 6,after any of the check boxes is designated, the CPU 203 accepts inputfor designating a “Next” button. Thus, the printer is selected.

Then, upon the user operating the keyboard 209 or the mouse 210 todesignate any of the check boxes and thereafter indicating the end ofdesignation, in step S305, the CPU 203 performs the followingdetermination processing. That is to say, it is determined whether ornot the printing device 101 corresponding to the designated check box isa printing device 101 that is preparing for connection with the wirelessLAN router 103, i.e., whether or not the check box in the row of thelist created in step S301 has been designated.

If the result of this determination is that the printing device 101corresponding to the designated check box is a printing device 101 thatis preparing for connection with the wireless LAN router 103, theprocessing proceeds to step S306. On the other hand, if the printingdevice 101 corresponding to the designated check box is a printingdevice 101 that is already connected to the wireless LAN router 103,i.e., if the check box in the row of the list created in step S302 isdesignated, the processing proceeds to step S307.

In step S306, the CPU 203 initially performs processing fordisconnecting from the wireless LAN router 103. Then, the CPU 203transmits the SSID and the password used when establishing theconnection with the wireless LAN router 103 to a target printing device(the printing device 101 corresponding to the designated check box: adevice of interest) in an ad hoc mode. At this time, the CPU 203 givesthe target printing device an instruction to connect to the wireless LANrouter 103 using the transmitted SSID and password in an infrastructuremode. Thereafter, the CPU 203 disconnects from the target printingdevice, and again performs processing for establishing connection withthe wireless LAN router 103. Upon this processing being completed, theCPU 203 causes the display unit 208 to display a window for givingnotification that the processing, an example of which is shown in FIG.8, has been completed.

In step S307, the CPU 203 installs driver software for the targetprinting device in the information processing apparatus 201 by executingan installer of the target printing device.

This embodiment has given a description taking a system using wirelesscommunication via the wireless LAN router 103 as an example. However,this embodiment can also be similarly applied to a system in which theprinting device 101 and the information processing apparatus 201directly communicate with each other not via the wireless LAN router103. Furthermore, the communication is not limited to wirelesscommunication, and wired communication is also available. Theinformation processing apparatus 201 is not limited to the desktopcomputer 102 a and the laptop computer 102 b in FIG. 1, and may also bea portable communication device such as a smartphone or a tablet.

The processing described as processing performed by the informationprocessing apparatus 201 and the processing described as processingperformed by the printing device 101 are not limited to processing bythis apparatus and device as described above, and part of the processingmay be executed by other devices.

For example, if, as shown in FIG. 9, printing devices are displayed in astate where it is unclear whether connection processing is to beperformed from now or connection settings have already been configuredin the network, it is difficult to select and set an appropriateprinting device. In the case of FIG. 9, the user needs to installsoftware in the terminal device after checking whether the connectionprocessing is to be performed from now for the printing devices orconnection settings for these printing devices have already beenconfigured in the network, and selecting either one of the printingdevices. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the informationprocessing apparatus 201 searches for printing devices and displays alist of found printing devices. Furthermore, a printing device that ispreparing for connection and a printing device that is already connectedto the network are displayed such that a distinction is made. Thus, theuser can easily complete settings by installing driver software in theinformation processing apparatus, and connect the printing device 101 tothe network.

Furthermore, for example, there are cases where a display screen of thedisplay unit of the printing device 101 is small, or the display unithas a limitation on the number of input characters. In this regard, inthis embodiment, the printing device 101 and the information processingapparatus 201 can be connected to the network via the display screendisplayed on the display unit 208 of the information processingapparatus 201. Accordingly, the user can more easily connect theprinting device 101 to the network than in the case of operating on thedisplay unit of the printing device 101.

Second Embodiment

The following description will focus on differences from the firstembodiment, and the other features are similar to the first embodimentunless stated otherwise below. A description will be given, using aflowchart in FIG. 4, of processing performed by the informationprocessing apparatus 201 in order to install driver software for theprinting device 101 that is selected by the user in the informationprocessing apparatus 201.

Since the processing in steps S401 to S404 and S406 to S408 are similarrespectively to the processing in steps S301 to S304 and S305 to S307 inFIG. 3, descriptions of these steps will be omitted.

In this embodiment, in step S404, upon the user operating the keyboard209 or the mouse 210 to designate any of the check boxes and thenindicating the end of designation (i.e., selecting a printer), in stepS405, the CPU 203 performs the following determination processing. Instep S405, it is determined whether or not the printer to be usedexists. In the window in FIG. 6, a check button 605 is for performinginput in the case where information regarding the printing device thatthe user wants to select is not displayed in the display region 604.Therefore, if the user presses the “Next” button in a state of havingdesignated (i.e., making a check mark in) the check button 605 using thekeyboard 209 or the mouse 210, it is determined that the printer to beused does not exist (No in S405), and the processing proceeds to stepS409. On the other hand, if the “Next” button is pressed in a statewhere the check button 605 is not designated, it is determined that theprinter to be used exists (Yes in S405), and the processing proceeds tostep S406.

The details of the processing in step S409 will be described using aflowchart in FIG. 5. In step S501, the CPU 203 displays a window, anexample of which is shown in FIG. 7, on the display unit 208.

The window in FIG. 7 is for notifying the user of the method foroperating the printing device in order to cause the status of theprinting device that the user wants to connect to the wireless LANrouter 103 to transition to a connection preparation state. Althoughnotification of the operation method based on the assumption that theprinting device has a panel screen is given in FIG. 7, notification ofan operation method using a button operation for achieving the samepurpose may be given for a printing device that does not have a panelscreen, or notification of both methods may be given simultaneously orin a selectable manner.

The user goes to the printing device that the user wants to connect tothe wireless LAN router 103, operates the printing device in accordancewith a message displayed in the window in FIG. 7, and causes the statusof the printing device to transition to a connection preparation state.Then, the user again returns to the information processing apparatus201, operates the keyboard 209 or the mouse 210 to designate the “Next”button on the window, an example of which is shown in FIG. 7, and theprocessing then proceeds to step S502.

In step S502, the CPU 203 performs the same processing as in theaforementioned step S301, thereby collecting, via the network interface211, the SSID of the printing device 101 that is preparing forconnection with the wireless LAN router 103. In step S502, furthermore,the CPU 203 creates, based on the collected SSID, a list of a serialnumber and an MAC address of the printing device 101 that corresponds tothis SSID.

In step S503, the CPU 203 obtains a difference between the list createdin step S401 and the list created in step S502 (an increment of the listcreated in step S502 from the list created in step S401). Thisdifference is information regarding the printing device whose status hasbeen caused to transition to a connection preparation state by means ofthe operation method described in the window displayed in step S501.

In step S504, the CPU 203 determines the difference obtained in stepS503 to be a target printing device. After this determination is made,the processing proceeds to step S407. If the processing proceeds fromstep S504 to step S407, the same processing as the aforementioned stepS306 is performed in step S407, and the target printing device at thistime is the target printing device determined in step S504.

That is to say, in this embodiment, “the operation method for operatingthe device so as to achieve a state of preparing for connection with thenetwork” is displayed in accordance with an instruction from the user,and after this display is performed, a device in a state of preparingfor connection with the network is searched for again. Then, processingfor connecting the device that corresponds to the difference between thesearch result (step S401) and the re-search result (step S502) to thenetwork is executed.

Note that if the target printing device cannot be determined even afterthe processing in steps S503 and S504 is performed, the processingreturns to step S501, and the subsequent processing is repeated. Notethat after the processing in step S501, the processing may be advancedto step S401 without performing the processing in steps S502 to S504.

Thus, the user can more easily connect a desired printing device to theinformation processing apparatus.

Other Embodiments

Embodiments of the present invention can also be realized by a computerof a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executableinstructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium(which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one ormore of the above-described embodiments and/or that includes one or morecircuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) forperforming the functions of one or more of the above-describedembodiments, and by a method performed by the computer of the system orapparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computerexecutable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functionsof one or more of the above-described embodiments and/or controlling theone or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of theabove-described embodiments. The computer may comprise one or moreprocessors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit(MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separateprocessors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions.The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer,for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage mediummay include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-accessmemory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributedcomputing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digitalversatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™, a flash memory device, amemory card, and the like.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent structures andfunctions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2015-110809, filed May 29, 2015, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

1.-10. (canceled)
 11. A control method for information processingapparatus including one or more processors configured to execute thecontrol method, the method comprising: causing first search to beperformed, wherein, in a case where a first device is not in a state ofbeing connected to an external access point to which the informationprocessing apparatus has connected, first information is able to beacquired from the first device by the first search; and causing secondsearch to be performed, wherein, in a case where a second device isalready in a state of being connected to the external access point,second information is able to be acquired from the second device by thesecond search, wherein, in a case where the first information isacquired, predetermined processing is performed based on a predetermineduser operation, and transmitting setting information to the first deviceis allowed to be performed through the predetermined processing, whereinthe first device is connected to the external access point based on thetransmitted setting information, and wherein the external access pointis provided outside of the information processing apparatus, the firstdevice, and the second device.
 12. The control method according to claim11, wherein, in the case where the first information is acquired, afirst display item based on the acquired first information is displayed,and wherein, in a case where the first display item is designated as thepredetermined user operation, the predetermined processing is performed.13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein, in a case wherethe first display item is designated, the information processingapparatus is disconnected from the external access point that has beenconnected thereto.
 14. The control method according to claim 12,wherein, in a case where the first display item is designated, thesetting information used for the connection between the informationprocessing apparatus and the external access point is transmitted to thefirst device.
 15. The control method according to claim 14, wherein thesetting information includes a SSID and a password.
 16. The controlmethod according to claim 11, wherein, in a case where the secondinformation is acquired, a second display item based on the acquiredsecond information is displayed.
 17. The control method according toclaim 14, wherein, even in a case where the second display item isdesignated, the predetermined processing is not performed.
 18. Thecontrol method according to claim 11, wherein a screen includinginformation that causes a user to confirm a status change of the firstdevice is displayed, before the setting information is transmitted. 19.The control method according to claim 11, wherein a screen includinginformation that causes a user to confirm a status change of the firstdevice is displayed, after the first search is performed.
 20. Thecontrol method according to claim 18 wherein a screen includinginformation that causes a user to confirm a status change of the firstdevice is displayed, before the first search is performed.
 21. Thecontrol method according to claim 11, wherein the first device has afunction of an access point.
 22. The control method according to claim11, wherein a SSID of the first device is acquired by the first searchand information based on the acquired SSID is displayed.
 23. The controlmethod according to claim 11, wherein an IP address of the second deviceis acquired by the second search and information based on the acquiredIP address is displayed.
 24. The control method according to claim 11,wherein the second information is not acquired in the first search. 25.The control method according to claim 11, wherein a network provided bythe external access point is a wireless LAN.
 26. The control methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the second search is performed bybroadcast method.
 27. The control method according to claim 11, whereinthe setting information is transmitted to the first device in an ad hocmode.